Messages

Horan's changes have to be questioned.
Dublin looked like a side  waiting to be put out of their misery. Throwing kitchen sink at it is not a gameplan.
People on about genius in taking a o shea off in semi...he brought Conor o shea on in same game. Dublin under gavin win that game by 6.
Match ups & length of time guys who were overwhelmed were left on the last day is another question. Had Tyrone not had 3rd quarter jitters (sludden, mcshane free, Mckenna mark) when walking thru mayo it would have been worse.
Players didn't look mentally prepared & had no gameplan to fall back on. Contrast that with Tyrone.
Then take off O Hora who had the balls to run the gauntlet with intent & bring on 'needs his own Ball' Coen & Orme for his first taste?
Then blame players decision making & skills.
I don't agree with the O Shea bashing; what was his role tho? His confidence looked shook & he's been so good in so many games it's hard on him. When used inside for ten in first half he won frees...then he's out around half back line?
Horan vs Dooher/ Logan...that was the big match-up

''perhaps also helps that the Taoiseach is a qualified GP whom you'd expect to very quickly pick up the public health consequences of such a pandemic''


Probably made a balls of that quote thingy but that's cheered me up this morning. Leo is a good speaker, presentable who had the sense to re appoint John Concannon to oversee the spin and get the right lines for him 'Not all superheroes wear capes etc', but please...don't give his GP status some super-insight to a pandemic when he was in Washington pressing the flesh the day after his expert group insisted there was no problem with people going to Cheltenham.
Is Fionntamhnach John Concannon?

Hearing a lot of guff about how there's more respect for refs in rugby. That's because its a much easier game to referee. All the action happens in easily patrolled area and if a ball is hoofed 50 m there's not a body of men/ women there challenging for it. Ruck is a quagmire in terms of interpretation with 'in from the side' in particular, but it's a much more lateral and pedestrian game to cover than football or hurling where there are many more 50/50s involved.
Club set up is a full joke in terms of officials with a man from either side taking it as his duty to give or wave wide anything close depending on which end he's at. Same with linesmen. Unfortunately no easy solutions with low interest in officiating at games.
Black card is there for refs who receive verbal abuse on pitch but unfortunately too many don't use it so only have themselves to blame if lambasting continues.

Think it was Charlie Redmond years ago dismissed the idea of two refs as it would only make the reffing twice as bad!

U can't say he'd no interest in gaa. Made the phone call from upstairs for panel to change motm decision in 2015 after they selected Philly McMahon but uproar on social media about eye gouge of donaghmore

Quality rossfan...no point arguing with that level of intellect

Yes 6th Sam...no money in it so kill it off. I suppose provincial identities have dropped of but kno many players who competed in & valued it. Does everything have to be bottom line?
Dunno what county ur from but many clubs in west have one team & over 40s would have to b exceptional to make it. Think a competition where guys play against own age group using rolling subs is good. Us dont see why guys oer 40 not good enough-fit enough for60 mins with club but love game should have to quit playing. See they've 15 county teams now & growing.  Fully understand gaa not wanting to run it but to discriminate against them using pitches when they've their own insurance? 

Not an insurance thing...all paid up club members but they got own public liability insurance same as community games or any of concerts that use pitches. They're officially confined to community pitches tho many clubs & even county boards let them in despite getting direct communication from croker. Talking to a guy who said he couldn't play for masters on his club pitch he was central in fundraising for & coaches u-10s & 12s on yet free to go competing with 18 yr old in junior b game on any gaa pitch in county! Bonkers

Very co-ordinated assassination of the Railway Cup. For many players they still see it as a huge honour to be selected for their province . Prenty just the messenger on a decision made at headquarters...there's no solo run in Ballyhaunis.
I used to get my back up when non-GAA folk referred to the GAA as teh Grab All Association but when there's no financial bonus involved then get rid of. Same with Masters football...the mental health & physical benefits for 40 year+ players & the benefits going forward of kids seeing their fathers wearing county jersey are ignored on a cost basis. Sad.

Messi had two older brothers, good players, that he played with for hours on end on pitch at back of his house. He was youngest on Newell old boys team that went unbeaten for 8 years...playing with older bigger players of excellent standard. We all know the excellent underage player who never made it, prob down to running the gauntlet and when others physically caught up their advantage left them short on other skills. Messis father was also a soccer coach. He wasn't just popped out a superstar.
Number of accounts of Ronaldo spending extra hours on free kicks etc when @ utd. Think I read It in Roy Keane's book bout ronaldo s phenomenal training routine too
Dublin run a shooting drill that became very competitive & remember seeing that eoghan o gara was biggest improved over the year matching b brogan by end of it.

As long as Jarlath Burns doesn't get in the door. He's been lining up a run for a long time

Just thinking there (dangerous activity), after black card on Kilkenny, and there could've been at least 3 more, from kick out should it not have been a mayo free? That would have opened option of Clarke as receiver & allowed mayo possession & chance to build. Believe Joe would've given any hint of a foul as a free in to tie it up. Pity...a replay would've been something to relish

What a game yesterday. It had that feeling from midway thru first half that it was Mayo's day finally. McCaffrey's injury deprived the Dubs of one of their improvements from last year, Doherty and Moran were on fire & Cluxton was all over the shop.
When Connolly, Mannion & McManamon started firing Dubs it looked ominous early on but Mayo responded at right times in right fashion. What a goal by Keegan! Right up with Galway in 98 for a team score.
Vaughan's attack on Small was baffling...why o why? When game came down the straight O'Sullivan and McCarthy and others grew while Mayo unfortunately shrank. 'Dublin' Joe didn't fit his nickname with the softest of soft frees on 70 mins for Mayo to go one up but Cillian was unfortunate. He and A O'Shea were average on a day when others, especially Barrett, were exceptional. Barrett's outstretched arm resulted in an obvious free in & thought Rock, especially given fact he must've been odds-on to be subbed after 10 minutes was coolness personified, GPS or no.
Mayo just hadn't enough to see it out. Like the semi against Kerry, when granted they were down to 14, they were out on their feet & waiting for the whistle rather than driving on. A poor Kerry had goal chances that day that Clarke & Boyle thwarted. You'd wonder if Rochford sees only 50 mins in Boyle, Moran & McLoughlin would he not be better served starting the runners who won't win it for you and bring on the quality 20 mins in?
It was heartbreak for Mayo, but blaming McQuillan isn't way to go here.

The Sligo Leitrim came was full of excitement, naivete and passion last night. Leitrim enjoyed the lions share of possession but, full-forward, Caleb Duffy aside were very wasteful. They had at least a dozen wides and hit four on the trot when on the ascendancy with the game all square with ten+ to go.
Sligo's forwards looked more purposeful on less possession but over-elaboration saw some good goal chances slip away. Sligo showed great resolve to get on top of a game that looked to be going away from them especially when Red Og Murphy, who took his goal well, was black-carded.Conall Ryan got MOTM and he was very good, especially toward the end, but for me cb Evan Lavin from Harps was the stand-out performer. His powerful runs and 1-1 from play were huge factors. His goal came right after a Leitrim goal in the second half that looked like it could bring the visitors through.
Two of the Leitrim goals were of the U-12 variety..a harmless point effort caught behind the line in the first half and a wing back stripped of the ball when trying to play out too close to goal. Cummins' defensive switching worked out better for Sligo who looked more compact in the second half- the leitrim ff line had acres in front of them in 1st half.
Midfield and the half-lines will need to improve on possession from kick-outs however. The hard work & better bench saw Sligo home to an extent.
All-in-all it's a good way to be entering a Connacht Final. There'll be no expectation. All the players from goalkeeper Davey (who made one fantastic point-blank save) on will have something to work on and good points to take confidence from. As Sligoman said it's healthy to see the spread of less-fashionable clubs represented and it augurs well going forward.

Have to agree with Il Bomber.
And muppet..the world and its dog knows that Conor O'Shea was the player not in the 26. Got a run in this years all Ireland and kept running at his own goal.
As for Ronan McGarrity...his focus now is playing basketball with Sligo All-Stars with AOS. They'd won 6 on the trot until last Saturday (when Indo article hit) and they under-performed and lost at home. Ronan's contribution seems team-focused. BTW, think the basketball angle is a positive in Mayo terms...footwork, handling, concentration etc.
The world isn't out to get Mayo lads, ye'll have to win one first before that happens. And most posters here would cheer that on. With the likes of Clarke, Keegan, Durcan, SOS, Aos & COC ye have some that have the tools to be best in the business. This year was a great chance with Dublin off colour and lacking the incisiveness of 2015. But naysayers take away from the collective. Does anyone think BB was whining and mailing JG when dropped by Dublin? A cull is needed. Thank Hennelly & Dillon for their time & effort and push on.
McEntee's take on matters is the one I'd like to hear...not while he's still in the tent though.